


About Love

by obviouslyelementary



Series: Final Fantasy XIV [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Feels, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, Love, Romance, dad edmont, no beta we die like men, not elezen warrior of light, worried dad edmont
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27977049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: Edmont de Fortemps loves his sons very much, and he becomes worried when Haurchefant shows affection towards the Warrior of Light.
Relationships: (IMPLIED), Edmont de Fortemps & Haurchefant Greystone, Edmont de Fortemps & Warrior of Light, Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light
Series: Final Fantasy XIV [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029102
Kudos: 39





	About Love

**Author's Note:**

> ugh this is so stupid and i wrote this in like half an hour so its so bad

It was a cold, usual morning in the lands of the Ishgard city. The sun woke up shy in the horizon, bringing in its light and barely any heat, nothing to be compared with the icy breaths of the wind, or the gentle touch of the snow that fell down. A climate ishgardians had grown awfully used to, but for his new guests in the manor, could be quite uncomfortable.

Edmont had never been one to doubt outsiders, their requests and their stories. He had always been known by the other houses as the one who accepted adventurers and sword sellers without much of a blink of an eye, deciding to always evaluate someone's worth by their deeds rather than their name or origin. It was, of course, one of the many reasons why he and his own father seemed to constantly fight, ever since childhood being a boy who thrived in making new friends and exploring the world. Of course, being the heir of the house of Fortemps, long had been since he last had the time and ability to follow such a childish dream, but he was glad that in part, he had been able to grant his children as much freedom as he could, something he did not have as a child himself.

Still, he had to agree that it was amusing, how often his children decided against his own decisions, much like he did before with his own father.

As entertaining as it was, he loved his children very much. He loved Artoirel and his sense of duty, being the next heir to the house and the one to bear its name and status; he entertained Emmanellain's ideals of conquest and big gestures, always wishing to be a warrior, something he would never be capable but still, perhaps as he grew older, he would find a job more suitable for him; and of course, he adored Haurchefant, his first born son, as illegitimate as he was, Edmont would not dare to call him less. The love and affection he felt for his first born was evident, even to his brothers, and the pride he held upon the man that he had become was more to fill his chest than he needed. He loved his family, and he trusted them, and wished only good things.

However, as a good father, he did worry sometimes about them too. He worried about Emmanellain's obsession with impressing women, no matter who or what they were; he worried about Artoirel's shyness, and how he would eventually have to choose someone to marry, someone who would share the name Fortemps with him, and lucky produce heirs, even if he did not have the intention to marry; and he worried about Haurchefant's fleeting conquests and frail heart, one that loved too much and lost too easy, having his father's love for adventure and pushing it into relationships that wouldn't last, with people that would only break his heart.

That, and of course, his inability to date elezens, which was another problem entirely.

So of course, the moment Haurchefant came bursting through his door to request asylum for his friends, Edmont knew very well that his excitement and urgency were not simply a matter of loyalty. He could see in his son's eyes, that something else was afoot, and that worried him deeply. Nothing came to settle his worried heart, not when he learned who those guests would be. He would welcome them with open arms, as he promised to both his son and lord commander Aymeric, but his worries were not settled on his guests, as much as they were on his son.

Haurchefant, the ever lover. A child, in so many ways. Innocent to his core, despite his experiences and scars to prove otherwise. He was a smart man, with a skilled battle stance and a sharp attention to detail, but his heart, oh, it was stupid and naïve. Much like his own, and his mother's, in a sense.

So, after the cordial pleasantries, and after they all had settled, he decided to take matters in his own hands, as gently as possible. Lord Alphinaud, madam Tataru and the Warrior of Light herself were all guests at the house of Fortemps, and not only guests but members of it as well. He was glad to assist a group that had done so much for Eorzea and Ishgard on their own, but his motives were now personal.

Luckily, Haurchefant had to return to Camp Dragonhead for the night, having problems with dragons as they were, or else Edmont would have never had the time and courage to speak to the Warrior of Light alone.

He called her inside his study, his maid serving them both a cup of tea, and leaving them to speak in private, the door closing behind her. The Warrior of Light, one he had heard the name but did not dare speak it, sat down in front of him, curious and shy, clearly unaccustomed with situations such as this. He gave her a smile, to make her at ease, and she smiled back at him, still anxious but less tense.

"Thank you for coming here, I did not wish to disturb your rest" he said, calmly, and the adventurer stared back at him with a nod, her eyes settling to a calmer expression, sipping on her tea, her hands small to the cup. Even the most delicate tea cups would look big in her small hands. Another noticeable remark that she was not like them. Edmont pushed those thoughts aside, those were the least he should concern himself about. "What I have to speak to you is personal, at best. It does not implicate in anything I have said today, about wishing you to be a member of my house. That feeling stands, and shall forever stand."

She seemed to relax further, but become even more curious. From the little Edmont knew, all of it provided by his elder son and the lord commander, the adventurer was not one for words, rather listening than speaking. A common trait among adventurers, however this one seemed more quiet than the rest.

"What I mean to discuss is... well, to speak freely, your relationship with my son" he said, and her eyes widened, clearly not seeming to expect such a conversation. Her cheeks turned a light pink color and he knew then that his suspicions were right, to a certain degree at least. "From what he told me, it is safe to say you and your friends are trustworthy. However, I have not seen him speak so well of someone in quite some time, and not in a warrior sense. He cares deeply about you, and I believe you are aware of it."

Of course he would not have bothered the savior of Eorzea if he had not noticed a certain possibility that the feelings were mutual. She could see his son as a good friend, of course, but the stares they shared and the glances she took towards him spoke more of love than friendship, and that was something he remembered seeing in the mirror often. He had loved, he was not blind to it. And thus, he needed to make it all clear.

"I mean not to make you uncomfortable or unsure. My son has his life to take and his decisions are not mine. However, never before has he demonstrated so much affection towards anyone, and I like to think myself a good father" he smiled, and the warrior of light looked down. "Do not be ashamed or afraid. I am not here to threaten you, never the like. However, I am... concerned. You see, you are not his first adventure, and if I may, I have seen his heart broken far too many times for my own heart to handle" he explained, and she looked back at him, shy, with a nod. "You are an adventurer. The savior of Eorzea. The Warrior of Light, chosen by Hydealyn herself. You live a dangerous life, and one that no one knows where will lead. Needless to say, you are not a safe port to my son, and I only wish to protect him, without making you fear me. I have no intentions of getting between you two, quite the opposite. Your life is yours to trail, and so is his. I would like, however, for you to know that I care for him, and to see him hurt... would be painful, for me."

He had meaning to continue, but he did not. The Warrior of Light looked up at him, her eyes sad and unsure, and opened her mouth to speak to him for the first time ever since they met.

"I know, my lord" she spoke, and unlike what he had imagined, her voice was soft and calm and feminine, a voice of a woman, hidden underneath the face of a warrior. She did not dare to look at him in the eyes, shifting around his face, around the room, fiddling with her hands underneath the table. "I care about your son... more than I ever cared about anyone. I never wish to harm him, in any sense, but I am afraid I... I will" she whispered, and he noticed her eyes tearing up. Edmont's sense of compassion seemed to fill his heart, turning his chest warm for the adventurer in front of him. "We have spoken of this before... he insists he will manage without me during missions, that we do not have to settle down, that we both have duties above our feelings and he is correct... but I wish not to put him in harms way, emotional or physical. I am... unsure on what to do..."

He could feel her pain, her uncertainty and her suffering, and cursed himself for taking this conversation to action. Never he had wished to make her even more insecure, specially now that he knew and understood that she cared deeply for his son, perhaps deeper than he could understand. His hand reached out, spread on the table, and she looked at it and then at him. After a nod from him, she reached out and held it gently, the tears still threatening to leave her eyes.

"Forgive me, my lady" he whispered, warm and gentle. She shook her head, but he squeezed her hand and nodded. "Yes, forgive me, for I should have not doubted you. I understand your fear, and I share it, but do not allow an old man's caution to stop you. Had I known you were this caring, this worried, this loving, this conversation would have never happened. I can see in your eyes your true feelings, and I understand where they come from. A place of love. A place of heart."

She smiled, at him, her lips trembling, and he allowed her to pull her hand away, taking his own and sipping on his tea. She wiped her tears away and drank some of her own, both being quiet for a moment while they thought, wondering with their thoughts. Only after a moment that she looked up at him again, taping on the cup with her fingertips.

"I love your son" she whispered, and he smiled fondly, giving her a nod.

"I believe he loves you too" he said, and her smile was shy but happy, her cheeks burning bright pink and her eyes shimmering. She nodded, drinking some more of her tea, and he did the same, watching the woman that had saved the world being a simple, shy lady, who loved like anyone else.

Perhaps, he had been wrong. Perhaps, she had been suffering as much as his son had, as much as he had. Edmont understood, however, about love. And he hoped that their love would work, in any way they found fit.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos, comments and prompts are awesome


End file.
